I'm new to this community and fairly new (less that a year) to running. I had weight loss surgery (lapband) a little over a year ago, and within two months I had all this new found energy and decided at the age of 54 to take up running! Fast forward to 2012, I've now run three 5K's, and plan to do at least one more before the year end (either around Thanksgiving or in early December)

My first 5K in April I ran a nice (for me) 33:20 time. My 2nd one in July was 32:15, but I injured my Achilles tendon, so had to shut down for 3 weeks. My podiatrist felt that my running shoes and the lack of outdoor training were the contributing factors to the injury, so I switched to Brooks running shoes and did a LOT more outdoor training. My 3rd 5K in September was 33:15, but no issues with my Achilles tendon, so I was thrilled!

My goal is to run a 5K under 30 minutes. While I started as a treadmill runner, I am increasingly enjoying outdoor running, and I think it made a big difference in my last 5K. My last outdoor run (last Sunday) I ran my best ever 3 mile time of 31:25, so I think I am back to where I was in July. I run on average 3x/week, typically 3 miles and if time allows, fast walk a 4th.

My goal is to shave off 20 seconds each week between now and Thanksgiving so that I am running 3 miles at around 29:00, which should get me to my under 30 minute goal for a 5K.

Patrick- Welcome to the "Mighty Masters" as we are sometimes called. I hope the love of running continues for you. Just being out there and being active is the main thing. Race goals are good, we all have them, but avoiding injury is paramount. We don't heal as fast as we once did. I would suggest making one of your runs a little longer and a little slower to give yourself some variety and help build endurance. Don't add too much distance to fast though.

Your goal of getting under 30 minutes may be doable, but don't push yourself so hard you re-injure yourself. I finally got below 30' this year, at the same race that was my first ever race in 2011. I had further to go, as my first 5K was over 35 minutes.

There is a lot of info in the different threads, and the multitude of running web sites are good as well.

Patrick~Welcome to our merry band! Congratulations on all you have done to improve your health and discovering running. I agree with Dan to proceed with caution concerning race goals. Building a solid base is critical in being able to run in years to come without injury. You will enjoy a wealth of information and inspiration on this thread. Come back, and post often.

Marie~So sorry the heel bursitis has been keeping you down. Praying your run on Wednesday was strong, pain free and you will be back to Goofy training. I may be visiting my parents in Florida that weekend and would love to be a spectator at a Disney race. It must be very magical.

Had a lovely 5 mile tempo run on Wednesday while we still had 70 degree temperatures. The bike path is along a river and the autumn colors were absolutely beautiful! This morning's 2.5 miles was a bit chillier at 35 degrees windy, but sunny. I had to break out the gloves and fleece headband. Really enjoyed my cup of coffee when I returned!

My son's grade school cc team will be running in the state tourney on Saturday, and DH and I will be cheering on runners at the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon on Sunday morning. Wow - a weekend of races, but my legs will not be tired!

All the best to Sue P. and Tony in Chicago AND Phyllis in San Jose ~ Run strong, friends!

Debra-you will have a busy running weekend but not have to do it yourself! Good plan. You are right, the weather changes are amazing. I ran 8.7 this morning, 32 when I started and 41 when I got home. Nice seeing the sun rise! Colors are still good, but I think they will be short lived.

I will be registering for the "Honky Tonk Marathon" in the Dells this weekend; it's 2 weeks away, so everything from here on out is going to be easy. I actually ran this morning trying to imitate my pace for that race, but I think I'm going to have to start out a little slower in order to have a good finish. I guess you learn something in every run and every race. We will see what this marathon teaches me!

Good luck to Tony and any others in Chicago this weekend as well as all others racing tomorrow. Run strong and safe.

We found out why my wife hasn't been able to run with me this summer; her plantar fasciitis was bad enough she has now actually torn most of the fascial ligament from the heel bone. She meets with an orthopedic surgeon Tuesday to discuss options. Surgery my be needed.

MaryKay~Great to read you had fun at the Color Run. I've heard it is crazy-fun!

Enjoyed a chilly, windy weekend of cheering on grade school, high school and marathon runners. Watching the runners in each of the races was inspiring! My son's team won't be going on to the National meet this year. Missed qualifying by 16 points, but they are a young, talented team. They'll be back, I'm sure! Wonderful husband and I had a great time cheering on the Lakefront Marathon runners yesterday. In the past we have situated our selves at the 17 mile marker, but got a late start and decided to drive down to mile 26.5 and the finish line area. Offered encouragement and recognition to help push them in the final steps. Each time a "Sue" or "Tony" passed by, thoughts of the Chicago Marathon 90 miles to our south had me cheering a little bit extra. Hope all went well, and looking forward to the RR!

A bit tired after all the cheering and course running on Saturday, but got out for a super slow 6 mile run yesterday. Lots of folks walking the path after the Packer's loss *ouch! * a little fresh air and excercise helps to put it all in perspective!

Mckay.....I did not say that I do not like races...I do and I actually have several lined up for the first of the year...I said that I am burned out on training and racing for this year....not forever! LOL

But that is actually changing as the days go by and the weather is getting so much cooler! I may end up doing a few HM's before the end of the year...we will see.

Dan....so sorry to hear about your wife's foot! My goodness...how did she endure the pain? It must have been very painful. Prayers for a speedy recovery.

PKar, didn't do RnR San Jose this year (was signed up last year, but injuries) sorry...How did it go for you?

MKay, yes that was a hole in the shoes and I am very close to the ground, but being short - oh, wait you mean the shoes

Marie, Sorry about the foot, but I'm sure you'll recover nicely.

Tony & Suzee, Hope the marathon went well. Can't wait for the report.

Girl, I enjoy watching people finish too, maybe one of the reasons I like doing 5Ks. I get done early and then get to watch the 1/2 marathoners come in and cheer my family members on.

My target 10K race turned in to a semi-disaster after getting stung by a yellow jacket during training 3 days before. I'm sensitive to the buggers, but not in the traditional allergic reaction. Oh, well sh*& happens and sometimes there's nothing you can do about it. Been taking it a little easier the last week and signed up for a 5K this Saturday. Hopefully I'll run a bit better then last time.

Chicago Marathon 2012 is now chalked off my bucket list. we arrived in the Windy City late Wednesday afternoon. it was colder than I could of imagine. I hadn't run in two weeks due to a bad toe joint that came up at the beginning of my taper. on Thursday morning I put on tights and arm warmers and did a few easy miles. my confidence quickly came back. it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. at the start of the race Sunday it was 39 degrees but not much wind. I was assigned to Coral E put decided to run with a group I met at the expo in coral L. this by far was the most organized race I every ran in. EVERYTHING was flawless. I broke the race down in digestible parts. 13.1 miles which was a no brainer for me. At that point my half time was 2:32 or an 11:18 pace. Exactly where I was hoping to be. I remained at that pace up to mile 19. My training plan worked perfectly and I have no excuses. But I made one mistake that caused me 6 minutes. I over hydrated and was forced to make what I thought would be a quick potty break. as luck would have it the person Inside wasn't making a quick stop. I quickly got back into my zone. I never hit a wall or felt like I was failing. (Thank you hammer gel &amp; perpetuem solids) at mile 20 instead of thinking 6.2 miles left. I was saying ONLY 3 miles to mile 23, only 2 miles to mile 23. Ok I'm at 23 only 3.2 and I achieved my goal. A. Perfect training program , an awesome race to be in and a respectable finish time 5:17 . Now it's back to working on breaking 2 hrs in 2013 for my half marathon running time. thanks for all the support.

CONGRATULATIONS Tony, YOU are a MARATHON RUNNER!!! Great race report, and you are proof to trust in the training. So happy to read that your fueling and the strategy of breaking down the miles worked so well for you. Enjoy the next couple weeks to "reverse taper", display your medal proudly and bask in your achievement as you place the 26.2 magnet on your car! You ran strong, friend!

Simply an awesome experience, if I never run another marathon again (not really sure at this point), I am so glad that the one I did was Chicago, because it was truly the best! The weather was perfect, it was a cold start and as I was waiting in Corral E I was holding my water bottle and wishing it was hot chocolate. It was so exciting when we heard the start horn and saw all the sweats go flying through the air!

The crowds were amazing, I was a pretty slow poke, which was pretty much my plan because I just wanted to take it all in and enjoy the entire experience. I also wasted too much time waiting for porta-potties (which will give me nightmares for years to come!), but if I felt an urge I didn't want to ignore it and be sorry later. My halfway time was 3:04, and I was feeling my IT band calling out. I usually take an Excedrin migraine before I start running and I had forgotten that, so a little headache was starting, so I stopped at an aid station for some ibuprofen for both the head and hips. The hips surprised me because I never had a problem with them in training. Upon reflection, I realized that my training was all straight running, but the marathon was a lot of running side to side to either pass others or get out of the way of faster runners, or get over for pit stop, water, etc.

It was suggested that I write my name on my top, and wow, did I ever feel like a celebrity! The crowds were so excited and supportive calling out encouragement every step of those 26.2 miles. I never really got tired, never hit the wall, but the IT band kept me company from about 10 miles onward. There was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't finish. I kept in mind the quote "Pain is temporary, Quitting is permanent", and there were a few signs to that effect, too. I had my GymBoss interval timer set for 2 min. run, 1 min. walk but got messed up a lot because either the crowds/music were so loud I didn't hear the beep, or I heard someone else's beep, but I did the best I could to keep consistent. I started out with Gatorade in my water bottle but eventually switched to plain water and salt tabs, along with Chia Surge gels at the beginning and at every 4 miles or so, probably a little more frequently toward the end, just because I was getting hungry! The first glimpse of that FINISH sign is an indescribable moment that I wish everyone could experience. My finish time was 5:53:31, which is a little embarrassing, but there were still LOTS of people behind me!

At the end it was somewhat anticlimactic because the spectators weren't allowed near the finish line. We had to walk a way, they handed out the mylar blankets, walk a little further and got our medals, then walk further for snacks, water, goodie bag, etc. THEN, the anxious family/friends. By sheer luck I spotted my friend in the sea of faces and we walked about another mile to the charity village tents for pizza - SO GOOD! Then, MORE WALKING! By then I was pretty cold - I had thrown off my sweats early in the race and didn't leave a gear bag, thinking my friend would arrange a taxi or we could hop a bus. However, all the roads were blocked, so we just walked back to our hotel, about 2 miles. Very slowly, LOL! I got back to my room, took a cold shower for my legs, ordered room service and shared a bottle of wine. I was so happy to be DONE, yet I couldn't stop talking all about the people I ran with, the people and places I saw, all of it. Sleeping was tricky, I had a big ice bag that I would put under one hip and lay on that side, then alternate, but I did get more sleep than I expected.

The next day it was kind of funny to spot the runners at the hotel and airport - we were all walking a little different, and SLOW! As the day wore on, my hips felt better, then my quads started complaining, but still not bad. Today I'm back to work showing off my medal and feeling fine.

1.What to wear as the weather gets colder. I'm not ready to put on the running tights. I think I can run next month's Chicago's Perfect 10 without them. (I'm doing the 10 miler this year.)

2. Time: I can do a really long run (as in 13 miles plus) if a take a weekday off and get to the Chicago Lakefront trail. Otherwise, it's shorter runs and interval training during the weeknights. (Morning run? Me?!?)

3. Gnats and other bugs. Nothing like getting a good pace going and then whap! Something in the eye. Or in the mouth. I'd rather choose my own proteins than run into them, thank you.

4. Although maybe the colder weather has made #3 irrelevant.

5. Making a long 13 mile plus run on Sunday, then having to sit at work on Monday. It's getting up after sitting down that causes the aches. What explains that? Buildup of lactic acid in the muscles? Anyway, I'm going to have Facilities raise my desk so that I can work standing up.

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